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Billy Bunter #7
Billy Bunter Among the Cannibals
Billy Bunter Among The Cannibals
236 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1995
27 people want to read
About the author
Frank Richards
634 books15 followersPseudonym of author Charles Hamilton, who created Billy Bunter and who also used plenty of other pseudonyms.
Those other pseudonyms were, in alphabetical order:
Winston Cardew; Martin Clifford; Harry Clifton; Clifford Clive; Sir Alan Cobham; Owen Conquest; Gordon Conway; Freeman Fox; Hamilton Greening; Cecil Herbert; Prosper Howard; Robert Jennings; Gillingham Jones; T Harcourt Llewelyn; Clifford Owen; Ralph Redway; Hilda Richards; Raleigh Robbins; Robert Rogers; Eric Stanhope; Robert Stanley; Nigel Wallace; Talbot Wynyard.
Those other pseudonyms were, in alphabetical order:
Winston Cardew; Martin Clifford; Harry Clifton; Clifford Clive; Sir Alan Cobham; Owen Conquest; Gordon Conway; Freeman Fox; Hamilton Greening; Cecil Herbert; Prosper Howard; Robert Jennings; Gillingham Jones; T Harcourt Llewelyn; Clifford Owen; Ralph Redway; Hilda Richards; Raleigh Robbins; Robert Rogers; Eric Stanhope; Robert Stanley; Nigel Wallace; Talbot Wynyard.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 12, 2016
Enough of the Fat Owl
12 November 2016
I remember my Dad telling me once that he didn't particularly like the Billy Bunter books where Bunter went for adventures abroad, that is outside of the immediate vicinity of Greyfriar's school. After reading this book I can now see why – it was absolutely atrocious, or more so really really painful. Okay, the excessive use of the N word in reference to people with skins darker than ours may have been acceptable coming out of Bunter's mouth because it is, well, Bunter, but the reality is that even if it is just Bunter's character to be so rude, crude, and racist, it still doesn't mean that I have to accept it. In fact the character of Billy Bunter has become so annoying that I highly doubt I will read any more of his books.
The story goes that Bunter is given a position as an assistant clerk for one of his father's companies, though the catch is that the role is on an island located in the stretches of the South Pacific. Anyway, he is sent out there, all expenses paid, and his school buddies (for want of a better word), the Famous Five, accompany him, if only so he can settle down somewhat. However, upon arrival at the main island they discover that a rather brutish man has taken over, and after giving him a bit of a thumping, they are then taken to the island of Lololo where they discover that the shop has been deserted because the island has been over-run by cannibals.
Maybe Billy Bunter has started losing its appeal, but I was able to read all of the Secret Seven and Famous Five books without being put off as much as this book put me off (though there were some of Blyton's books that I found almost as painful as I found this book). Not only was I rather disappointed at Bunter's excessive use of the N word (and the fact that the guy is a pretty elitist, and quite racist, individual as is), but also the fact that is he so lazy and so oblivious to the fact that nobody likes him, and why nobody likes him. There was one book where they decided to teach Bunter a lesson, namely because everybody had become sick of his attitude, however the thing with Bunter is that he never learns, and you get to the point where you simply start banging your head against the brick wall because you know that nothing is going to change.
Okay, in some ways people love to laugh at stupidity – that is why the Simpsons is not only so popular but why Homer Simpson eventually overcame Bart as being the show's most popular character. However, there are some redeemable features with Homer (despite the fact that I eventually became so sick of the show, and the character, that I stopped watching it years ago) – Bunter has none whatsoever. In fact the only reason that he manages to solve all these mysteries is through sheer luck. The other thing is that Bunter may be the title character but there are a lot of books where he actually ends up in the background (though that is not the case with this book). In the end the premise has started becoming a little worn out where I'm concerned.
12 November 2016
I remember my Dad telling me once that he didn't particularly like the Billy Bunter books where Bunter went for adventures abroad, that is outside of the immediate vicinity of Greyfriar's school. After reading this book I can now see why – it was absolutely atrocious, or more so really really painful. Okay, the excessive use of the N word in reference to people with skins darker than ours may have been acceptable coming out of Bunter's mouth because it is, well, Bunter, but the reality is that even if it is just Bunter's character to be so rude, crude, and racist, it still doesn't mean that I have to accept it. In fact the character of Billy Bunter has become so annoying that I highly doubt I will read any more of his books.
The story goes that Bunter is given a position as an assistant clerk for one of his father's companies, though the catch is that the role is on an island located in the stretches of the South Pacific. Anyway, he is sent out there, all expenses paid, and his school buddies (for want of a better word), the Famous Five, accompany him, if only so he can settle down somewhat. However, upon arrival at the main island they discover that a rather brutish man has taken over, and after giving him a bit of a thumping, they are then taken to the island of Lololo where they discover that the shop has been deserted because the island has been over-run by cannibals.
Maybe Billy Bunter has started losing its appeal, but I was able to read all of the Secret Seven and Famous Five books without being put off as much as this book put me off (though there were some of Blyton's books that I found almost as painful as I found this book). Not only was I rather disappointed at Bunter's excessive use of the N word (and the fact that the guy is a pretty elitist, and quite racist, individual as is), but also the fact that is he so lazy and so oblivious to the fact that nobody likes him, and why nobody likes him. There was one book where they decided to teach Bunter a lesson, namely because everybody had become sick of his attitude, however the thing with Bunter is that he never learns, and you get to the point where you simply start banging your head against the brick wall because you know that nothing is going to change.
Okay, in some ways people love to laugh at stupidity – that is why the Simpsons is not only so popular but why Homer Simpson eventually overcame Bart as being the show's most popular character. However, there are some redeemable features with Homer (despite the fact that I eventually became so sick of the show, and the character, that I stopped watching it years ago) – Bunter has none whatsoever. In fact the only reason that he manages to solve all these mysteries is through sheer luck. The other thing is that Bunter may be the title character but there are a lot of books where he actually ends up in the background (though that is not the case with this book). In the end the premise has started becoming a little worn out where I'm concerned.
July 19, 2018
In response to David Sarkies' review, I too prefer the books when BB is in the school environment.
With regard to the use of the N word, I can understand your views, but you do have to remember that this book was written in 1950 and attitudes were very different then and reflect the thinking and attitudes of the time. Use of the N word was then in fairly common use, but more as a descriptive rather than the racist insult which it has now become, and to be honest, this owes as much to political correctness than anything else. There is no doubt that the book in this form could not possibly be published to day !
There is another book I have read featuring BB and his friends in South America (I don't immediately recall the title), but this was a much more recent re-print. I have no idea if the book had been edited, but the N word, though it cropped up a couple of times was immediately stamped on and the writing relects current thinking more closely. I think this may well be the case because almost all the BB books were written at latest by the 50s (Frank Richards died in 1961), and I think any original copy would reflect attitudes very different from those we know today.
Regarding BB's character, he does from time to time redeem himself in some of the books. The most striking example would be in Billy Bunter the Bold, in which he risks his own life to rescue a visiting friend of Mr Quelch from the river. Of course no one believes him until the gentleman concerned later visits the form room and points him out as the hero of the hour. The moral is that there is good in most people - somewhere !
With regard to the use of the N word, I can understand your views, but you do have to remember that this book was written in 1950 and attitudes were very different then and reflect the thinking and attitudes of the time. Use of the N word was then in fairly common use, but more as a descriptive rather than the racist insult which it has now become, and to be honest, this owes as much to political correctness than anything else. There is no doubt that the book in this form could not possibly be published to day !
There is another book I have read featuring BB and his friends in South America (I don't immediately recall the title), but this was a much more recent re-print. I have no idea if the book had been edited, but the N word, though it cropped up a couple of times was immediately stamped on and the writing relects current thinking more closely. I think this may well be the case because almost all the BB books were written at latest by the 50s (Frank Richards died in 1961), and I think any original copy would reflect attitudes very different from those we know today.
Regarding BB's character, he does from time to time redeem himself in some of the books. The most striking example would be in Billy Bunter the Bold, in which he risks his own life to rescue a visiting friend of Mr Quelch from the river. Of course no one believes him until the gentleman concerned later visits the form room and points him out as the hero of the hour. The moral is that there is good in most people - somewhere !
May 16, 2022
This has the highest stakes of any Bunter book I've read - the co are literally surrounded by a hoard of men who want to murder and eat them, and they have to fight off the brutal attack, maiming and killing as they do so. I haven't normally been a fan of the 'Bunter abroad' books, I normally find them to be predictable and imperial stories, but this one felt like a unique and epic adventure.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews